Transcript title
The Texas
Instream Flow Program
Barney Austin
Surface Water Resources Division
Texas Water Development Board
Halloween 2005
Senate Bill 2
The Texas Legislature directed tri-agencies (TPWD,
TWDB, and TCEQ) to:
Establish and continuously maintain an instream
flow data collection and evaluation program, and
Develop methodologies to determine flow
conditions in Texas rivers and streams necessary
to support a sound ecological
environment.
Senate Bill 2
Framework for Instream Flow Study Program
requires tri-agencies to:
Share oversight of program studies.
Share data, studies, analysis, information
and reports.
Establish a Work Plan that prioritizes
studies and sets interim deadlines for
publication of flow determinations, and
Complete priority studies by
December 31, 2010.
Senate Bill 2
Framework for Instream Flow Study also:
Requires TCEQ to consider the results of
completed studies in its review of any
management plans, water rights, or
interbasin transfers.
Joint study accomplishments:
• Interagency MOA
(Executed: Oct 17, 2002)
• Programmatic Work Plan
(Final: Dec 19, 2002)
• NAS contract (July 30, 2003)
•Technical Overview
(Draft: August 8, 2003)
Summary of Agency Roles
Instream Flow Study Element
Study Design
Coordinating
Agency
Joint
Hydrological and Hydraulic Evaluation
TWDB
Biological Evaluation
TPWD
Physical Processes Evaluation
Joint
Water Quality Evaluation
TCEQ
Integration
Joint
Interpretation
Joint
Study Report
Joint
Monitoring and Validation
Joint
Texas
Instream Flow
Studies
Timeframes for Priority Studies
Subbasin
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Lower Guadalupe River
Lower Brazos River
Lower San Antonio River
Middle Trinity River
Lower Sabine River
Middle Brazos River
Toledo Bend
Sabine R.
2010
National Academy of Sciences
1. Evaluate science and methodology in key
documents
2. Review and provide advice on scientific and
technical matters relevant to the Instream
Flow Program
3. Evaluate findings and recommendations of
Tasks 1 and 2 for consistency with the
requirements of Texas law for the study of
Instream Flows
NAS Committee
11 national experts, including:
Dr. David Maidment (UT)
Dr. Kirk Winemiller (TAMU)
Dr. Thomas Hardy (Utah)
NAS Public meetings
Austin – Oct 2003
San Antonio – Jan 2004
San Marcos – Mar 2004
Final report released in March 2005…
Summary (the good stuff)
The state of Texas shows an
impressive commitment to designing
and implementing an instream flow
program…
Summary (the good stuff)
The Texas agencies are commended
for proposing a prospective,
comprehensive instream flow
program…the program will provide
enormous benefits to the state over the
next several decades and beyond.
Ten Major Recommendations:
Definition of “sound ecological environment”
Need to define clear and specific goals
A suite of measurable, ecological indicators is needed
Consistent spatial scale and level of detail between
elements is needed.
Clearer process by which the individual technical
evaluations will be integrated into instream flow
recommendations is needed.
The instream flow program should be integrated with
the water quality, water permitting, and other waterrelated programs in Texas.
Need for an independent, interdisciplinary, periodic
peer review process
Stakeholder involvement
Meeting on Sept 30th
Help finalize the Technical Overview document
Participation in basin studies
Not yet ready for prime time
Will need to reconsider in light of the Executive Order.
October 28th - Executive Order
The Environmental Flows Advisory Committee…make
recommendations for commission action and legislation on
methods for making future decisions to protect instream flows and
freshwater inflows, while integrating such needs with human
needs…using the Study Commission report as a starting point.
The Committee shall develop recommendations to establish a
process that will achieve a consensus-based, regional approach to
integrate environmental flow protection with flows for human
needs.
The Committee may appoint: three or four local or regional
stakeholder advisory councils prioritized by basin/bay system; and
a science advisory council of five members to provide technical
expertise.
Thank you!
http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/InstreamFlows/